How/Why Research? Coming into UNC, I was honestly uncertain of my future goals and where UNC would lead me. Taking NSCI175, an introductory neuroscience course during my freshmen year, I was intrigued by the modern neuroscience research being conducted and was curious to see if the research field was for me. Accumulating advice from others in research and many cold emails later, I began working in the Mei Lab under the School of Medicine where I currently still work. From there, my interest as a researcher has only grown. Please feel free to reach out, and I would be happy to talk more!
Research Experience: In the Mei Lab, I was involved in two projects. The first project was determining the differentiation trajectory of limbal stem cells under homeostasis and corneal wounding. This study identified two different types of putative LSCs and several types of putative LPCs under normal homeostasis and upon wounding, which will facilitate the understanding of corneal epithelial regeneration and wound healing. In our current project, we are tackling dry eye disease by investigating a novel protein and how it affects tear glands in mice. In the Summer of 2023, my intern project at Kriya Therapeutics was on improving the protocol and process of AAV vector transduction toward epilepsy. Next year, I will additionally be working in the Kabanov Lab at the UNC School of Pharmacy, developing novel drug delivery methods for medulloblastoma.
Student Organizations/Clubs: Carolina Scientific Magazine, Vietnamese Student Association
Also Happy to Chat about: Getting Involved in Industry.
Random Fun Fact: I qualified for teen nationals in powerlifting!